Using a memorial service for ANC bus crash victims as a political lobbying platform, Mantashe called for unity within the movement, saying its “battles and internal divisions” were making it easy for the electorate to repeat lies that nothing had happened since the dawn of democracy 22 years ago.
“It’s not because nothing has happened, it’s because when we fight, when we are divided, when we display those divisions, people lose hope in us.
“Then we have what I call ‘the trust deficit’,” he said on Thursday in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, at the memorial service of 10 ANC volunteers who died in Sunday’s accident.
“Black people begin to doubt whether we can be trusted, whether they can have confidence in the ANC. It is our duty, comrades, to go back to the people of South Africa everywhere (and) reaffirm the ANC,” said Mantashe.
Political commentators were unsurprised at the ANC’s electioneering.
“Everything is a form of electioneering at the moment, the ANC may be feeling guilty about what has happened to its volunteers, but they can also take advantage of the moment.
“The two don’t have to be exclusive,” said Professor Daryl Glaser of the Wits political studies department.
Current affairs commentator Eusebius McKaiser added: “We have a history of politicised funerals. Historically, funerals were important sites of mobilisation. Many may say this was opportunistic of the ANC, that wouldn’t be an unfair critique. However, in South African politics, this is normal. The context however is different.”
The divisions in the party have deepened after the Constitutional Court judgment over the Nkandla security upgrades.
Some ANC stalwarts, senior officials, provinces and branches, among other structures, have gone as far as calling on President Jacob Zuma to step down.
The ConCourt found that Zuma had failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution with regards to the public protector’s remedial action that he pay back a portion of the taxpayers’ money spent on non-security upgrades at his private home.
Mantashe called for unity, saying it was the bedrock on which the ANC was built. He was worried that the opposition parties would make inroads in ANC’s strongholds if they were divided: “Our unity is paramount. When we are united we are better; when we are divided, we are vulnerable.”
Mantashe lashed out at those agitating for a regime change, saying the ANC was responding positively to any anarchy and destruction. He warned that regime change left behind a trail of destruction, citing countries including Libya, Egypt, Syria and Burkina Faso.
He added that the deaths of the activists should not be in vain and called on people to vote ANC during the municipal elections on August 3.
SACP second deputy general-secretary, Solly Mapaila, said: “The best tribute we can give to these comrades is the proper implementation of the content of the (ANC election) manifesto, and for the ANC to ensure that any aspect of the manifesto is implemented.
“If we were to implement, at minimum, 50 percent of the content of this manifesto, this country would be very different, and that is why we must hold our government accountable on the implementation of this manifesto, in memory of these heroes of our people.”
ANC Ekurhuleni regional chairman, Mzwandile Masina, commended the commitment of the volunteers who had died, and seemed to take a veiled swipe at the children of ANC struggle stalwarts, who recently wrote to Mantashe calling for a special conference where a new ANC leadership would be elected.
Masina said the dead comrades had not sought attention or used “any struggle credentials of their families. They went on the ground, they didn’t say my mother was so and so and therefore I want to be a candidate”.
Meanwhile, Sydney Morweng reports that the mass funeral will take place on Saturday in Daveyton from in the morning.
Major ANC role players are expected to attend, including civic organizations and the tripartite alliance members.
As reported previously the other burial will happen in KZN, according to family.
